


The Devil to Pay in the Fun House

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Circus, Angst, Blind Character, Circus, Destiel - Freeform, Disabled Sam Winchester, F/M, Fluff, Injured Sam, M/M, Multi, Porn With Plot, Sabriel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:05:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>WELCOME ONE AND ALL THE HELL'S GATES CIRCUS!!! Come and see our finest acts! Sam & Dean Winchester, the duo balancing act! Meg Masters, the finest contortionist in the world, sure to amaze and astound! See our newest acrobat, Castiel! Watch him sore through the air as if on wings! Watch as Balthazar tames the wild beast, king of the savanna, the alpha lion! All lead by ring master, Crowley!</p><p>Sam and Dean Winchester where raised in the circus, traveling with their mother and father, both performers. When both are killed in a stage accident, the circus is taken over by Bobby Singer. When the circus makes a permanent home in Lawrence, Kansas, the boys are weary of the ring master Crowley, who sees fit to hire a new acrobat, Jimmy Novak or as he likes to go by Castiel. While Dean tries to figure why he finds himself to attracted to the tattooed trapeze artist, Sam must deal with his own ailment and the annoying Journalist who won't leave him alone about it. </p><p>While Gabriel tried his hardest to focus on the job, get in, get out, get back to his clients, he finds himself more drawn to the mysterious hand balancer with the unbelievable disability. </p><p>Note: Author sucks at summaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

 

LAWRENCE, Kansas — It’s the big top that sets  Hell's Gates Circus apart from all other circuses.

Traveling to more than 200 towns each year, the family-owned circus specializes in performing in a big tent. To circus spokesman Bobby Singer, this helps establish the performance as something more than just another show coming to town.

“We have a cast of a select few, so as to guarantee the greatest quality in entertainment.” Singer said from the circus’ headquarters in Kansas. “We’re part of that old cloth of Americana, traveling with a big top. We’ve upheld that romanticism where a mini community comes into town early one morning at dawn. By afternoon there’s a big top in a field that was vacant the day before.”

After the performances, the circus is gone.

“That’s our circus,” he said. “What makes us unique, what sets us apart, is the big top.”

Next we spoke to big top Ring Master, Crowley(who refused to give a last name.)

“Once you’re in the big top, that’s where the distinctiveness between our circus and pretty much every other touring circus separates,” said Crowley.  “There’s a great intimacy that surrounds our circus because of how close you are to the performers and animals during the show.”

Crowley said all senses are engaged.

If one thing is certain, everyone in Hell's Gates Circus agree, this is one experience you can't get anywhere else. 

“As soon as you walk into the tent you’re smelling hay for the elephants, fresh popcorn, peanuts — its intoxicating to the point where it might even make your head spin a little bit,” said Dean Winchester, a performer in a duo balancing act with his brother Sam Winchester. “Even in the general admission seats, you’re literally sitting right on top of the ring. It’s awesome. You can’t even be that close at the zoo.”

Meg Masters, the house contortionist,  understands what a circus needs to succeed: an audience.

“The performers respond to an audience’s energy,” she said. “When you have kids clapping, their parents, grandma and grandpa clapping, all in an enclosed tent, the performers can feel it and they really put on a good show.”

Hell's Gates circus features the usual performers: trained animals, clowns, acrobats and jugglers. Jo Harvelle, the resident knife thrower, feels a circus is a place where families can go for pure entertainment. Everything outside of the circus stops.

“When you’re in that tent, that’s all that exists,” the Harvelle said. “You’re not worrying about bills, school reports. You’re in the circus world. You can forget all your daily burdens. It’s like running away with the circus for the hour and a half you’re there.”

If it's one thing Hell's Gates promises, it's magic, right in front of your eyes.

“You’ll see things you never thought you’d see,” Singer said. “The experience captivates people and transports them to a different setting. I think that’s really what sets the circus apart from other forms of entertainment.”


	2. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter there will be links to some of the music and acts in Hell's Circus, please watch them, if you'd like the full experience.

"One ticket please."

  
Gabriel found nothing interesting about the admissions booth; it was like any other he'd seen.

  
The worker whose name tag read, Samandriel, was in a red and white stripped shirt. Typical cirque wear, as Gabriel had discovered since beginning his investigation.

  
"Here you go sir. Enjoy Hell's Gates Circus!"

  
Gabriel was remotely impressed by Samandriel's perky attitude, most cirque folk came across as mildly depressed with their positions, especially those who worked menial jobs.

  
Taking his ticket he began his routine walk through the circus ground entrance. Gabriel was a Journalist, officially covering cirque's that some to the area. Unofficially, Gabriel was hired by private sources to examine these circus's, find their weak points, and report these back to his sources. As far as Gabriel could tell, he was most likely hired by the residential Cirque de Christo. The Cirque de Christo was a permanent attraction in Lawrence, but whenever a new circus rolled into town, their lost an exponential amount of customers.

  
And every time a new circus rolled into town, after Gabriel scopes them out, an accident occurs; this typically results in the closing of the circus.

  
Needless to say, his sources pay well.

  
The routine that Gabriel has formulated becomes obsolete as soon as he sees the fairground lay out. While there are minor attractions displayed along a narrow strip of grassy walkway, the main attraction was clearly the big top.

  
The tent was larger than any he'd seen before at previous cirque's he's been too; stripped in red and black, not typical colors for a circus, the tent had an ominous effect on him.  
Gabriel pulled out his camera and took a few photos, before tucking it away in his messenger bag.

  
He stopped to grab a candy apple, his favorite circus treat before entering the tent. It was smaller than he imagined it would be. The tent was intimate, just as the article had promised.

  
He chose a seat in the middle of the stands, pulling his camera out to take a few photos. The tent smelled damp, almost moist, making him feel heavy and all the more aware of the creepy feeling of the tent. The lights in the tent had not yet dimmed as people where still pouring in, by the time the show was to start, the big top was completely full.

  
When everyone was settled, the lights flickered for a moment before finally putting the tent into complete darkness. It was shockingly quiet.  
A ticking noise began to fill the room, like that of a clock.

  
After a second or two, a spotlight appeared in the center of the ring. Sitting in what looked like an ornate office chair, was a man. He wore a completely black suit, with a long black coat. His head was resting in his right hand, his elbow planted on the arm of the chair; he appeared tremendously bored.

  
Gabriel took the moment to snap a picture, but the moment he did so he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  
"No photography during the show." Gabriel glanced towards the direction of the voice but no one was there. He sighed and put his camera back in his bag, which he pulled into his lap. He'd had to deal with this sort of thing before and had come prepared. A small hole was cut in his bag, a recording device was on the inside of it would take the place of his camera. He pressed _record_.

  
The man in the spotlight began whistling, the sound of a dog barking filled the room but their was no dog attached to the sound. The man pulled a red ball out of his pocket and waved it in the air, Gabriel noticed large paw prints appear in the sand, he was mesmerized. Following the paw prints trail, they stopped in front of the man.

  
"Good, Juliet." He held out the red ball and placed it on what seemed to be nothing, the ball hovered in mid air. "Hold it...."

  
The ball moved slightly to the left, as though being balanced on the tip of something, Gabriel realized it was meant to be the dogs nose.

  
"Drop it."

  
The ball fell and the audience quietly clapped.

  
The man stood from his chair and stooped down to pick up the ball. "Now fetch!"

  
He threw the ball into the air, as it came down, it disappeared. The paw prints began to circle him, this time when the man said drop it, the ball appeared in front of him, on the ground.

  
"Good girl."

  
He picked up the ball and tossed it once more towards the rings exit, it was caught and the imaginary dog left.

  
The audience applauded and the spotlight shut off.

  
When it appeared again, the man was standing in the center of the ring once more, his chair was gone.

  
"Ladies and gentlemen," His voice boomed throughout the theater, an obvious British accent clear in his voice. "I am your host for tonight, the name is Crowley, you may also refer to me as the King of Hell if you like."

  
A chuckle rolled throughout the crowd.

  
"Tonight you will be seeing, a number of acts which may frighten you. Don't be alarmed. If you are to incredibly frightened, excited, or medically injured during the show, you are welcome and fully encouraged to leave. Exits are located **here** ," A spotlight opened on several tent entrances. "Thank you."

  
Crowley left the ring and the tent was dark. Gabriel was used to these types of opening at circus shows, no one wanted to be liable for anyone else.

  
When the ring lit up again, the sound of a piercing scream filled the tent.

  
Gabriel found himself covering his ears until the sound stopped. In the ring a girl had run on, covered in blood and looking around terrified. The women was in what once was a white night dress, now it was torn to shreds. She ran to a wall that had not been there before, appearing trapped against it, she began to claw at it, screaming for help occasionally.

  
The screams stopped when a knife appeared directly next to her head.

  
Gabriel's head swerved in the direction the knife had been thrown from to find a petite young blonde. In jeans and a t-shirt, she looked as though she could of been an audience member, not a performer.

  
The girl at the wall turned to face her and shut her eyes in terror.

  
The blonde bowed to the audience and returned to the terrified girl, pulling a knife from a holster in her belt.

  
To fast for Gabriel's eyes to keep up with, the knife was revealed to be three instead and they where all thrown at the girl cowering against the wall.

  
Each landed perfectly around the girl's head.

  
Each knife that the blonde threw landed expertly around the girls form, until she could no longer move her body with out risk of being cut by a blade.

  
The act finished with the blonde throwing a knife directly at the girl's face, which the girl caught with her bare hands around the blade and threw it back, it was caught with a flurry and a bow to the audience.

  
Crowley's voice from a hidden speaker bellowed _Ladies and Gentlemen, Jo Harvelle the knife thrower!_

The tent went dim again.

So far while Gabriel was enjoying himself, these where all acts he'd seen before, if not a bit more demented here.

 The tent was dark for awhile after that, Gabriel could barely make out movement in the ring. Suddenly he felt the stand he was sitting in move back and he realized they where widening out the ring.

  
Gabriel heard crackling over the speaker and music began to play. It sounded like [slow carousel music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfD8xpGOXLg).

 

The when the lights returned, they appeared more slowly this time.

  
A young women was dancing in the center to the music. She was in a long shear night dress, her hair pulled loosely back into a bun. Underneath her dress she wore a skin tight nude leotard, giving the impression that she was fully naked.

  
Gabriel got the feeling of something dark about her, the way she moved was not quite right, she almost jerked around, like a puppet on a string.

  
A spot light revealed a table with a tea set on it.

  
The girl moved over to it and frowned, when she looked back to the audience, her eyes where completely black.

  
An audible gasp moved around the ring.

  
The women turned back to the table and picked up the tea pot before knocking the rest of the set onto the ground, the set shattered into pieces. The women placed the pot onto her head before proceeding to walk on the shards of the broken china.

  
She moved slowly before doing a small jump onto the table, the pot still balanced on her head.

  
She placed her hand on the center of the table and slowly brought her legs up into the air, and into a split.

  
The audience applauded.

  
With her other hand she brought the tea pot down from her head and gently placed it on the table. Moving down onto her hands and knees, she than brought her legs up and around her shoulders, making it possible for her to grab the teapot with her feet.

  
By the end of the song, the contortionist had performed spellbinding acts of both balance and contortion; Gabriel found himself to be almost in a trance by the end.

   
 _Meg Master, everybody._

  
Meg left the ring without so much as a bow.

  
This time when the lights shut off, there came an announcement.

  
_I hope everyone is enjoying the show so far, right now would be an excellent time if you need a break for food or the like. The next act will take a minute or two to prepare, so in the meanwhile, enjoy one of our newest additions to Hell's Gates._

  
A single spotlight lit upon a young girl, sitting in a chair, her back to the audience. Music began to play and the girl began to dance.

  
It wasn't long before Gabriel realized the girl couldn't be any older then fifteen and her dancing pulled the tent into a[ trance.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaesqRt9pCo)

 When the girl picked up her chair and left the ring, Gabriel was left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

  
For once the light didn't dim between acts, instead a large cage covered in a black sheet was rolled into the arena by what looked like Samandriel.

  
Another man walked on stage, his outfit was more flamboyant than any Gabriel had seen previous. While the clothing was still all black, the black slacks and shiny vest appeared to have small intricate white designs in the them. The man had short blonde hair and looked to be older than all the other performers.

  
"Good evening, my dears." He had an accent similar to Crowley, Gabriel wondered if perhaps the whole troupe was from Europe. "I am Balthazar, I hope you're enjoying your evening."

  
There was applause in response.

A bell began to toll and Balthazar smiled, as Gabriel noticed, sadistically. 

"It's time my dears, as the resident lion tamer, I'd like to welcome our lovely fierce-some creature to the stage."

With a flick of his hand, the black cloth on the cage was removed. What the Gabriel saw, he was not expecting.

  
In the center was a small leopard, curled on its side and sleeping.

  
Gabriel stifled a laugh, the rest of the audience was not so kind.

  
"Ah you misjudge our friend here." Balthazar produced what looked like a crop in his hand. He ran it along the cage bars. "Wake up little one, the audience doubt your ferocity."

  
Slowly the leopard raised its head and produced the most grating and abrasive noise from its throat that Gabriel had ever heard.

  
The leopard stood and grew.

  
Where before the animal had looked to be no bigger than a house pet, it's size appeared to have tripled to that of an alpha lion.

  
Gabriel leaned forward as Balthazar opened the cage.

  
The animal leaped forward out of the cage and ran around the ring, pausing only to swipe at a few audience members.

  
Balthazar waited in the middle of the ring. Gabriel noticed the cage was gone.

  
"Oh Darling, come here a moment." The leopard paused in its race to walk slowly over to Balthazar, pausing so that they where face to face.

  
Gabriel felt the tension from the audience but found himself frowning. All the other acts of the show had an eery quality that set Gabriel on edge, this felt like he was watching a dog and its owner playing. He found the contrast unsettling, as thought something was going to happen to put things back in balance, in order.

  
After a few menial tricks with Balthazar and Darling, Gabriel wished he could stop guessing things so accurately.

Gabriel heard shouting flowing into the tent from the entrance that all the performers entered from. Balthazar turned to look in that direction and as soon as he did, the leopard lunged at him.

  
Audience members screamed as the leopard, tore into him. Balthazar struggled against the leopard and other circus members, including Samandriel, poured out of all the entrances to pull the leopard off of Balthazar.

  
When they finally wrangled the animal and moved back out of the tent with it. All that was left was a bloody mess.

  
The lights and music shut off abruptly but when they turned back on, Gabriel heard a voice call down to them.

  
"Up here, my friends!"

  
Looking up, a smug looking Balthazar was standing at the top of the trapeze, completely unharmed.

  
The audience erupted into applause and once again it was dark.

  
Gabriel took the moment to adjust his bag so that the recorder was facing up towards the trapeze. He was not so impressed by Balthazar's escape so much as he was thoroughly impressed at the circus's ability to produce such a realistic death scene.

  
Gabriel didn't think he'd be able to forget those screams for awhile.

  _We'd like to take a moment to officially welcome our newest act, who will be performing for his first time tonight. Please enjoy our own little angel, Castiel._

  
The spotlight flashed on to the trapeze, where Gabriel saw who he assumed was Castiel, looking absolutely terrified and strangely familiar.

  
He was shirtless, wearing only black trapeze pants. He turned away from the audience for a moment, steadying himself on the platform and Gabriel could see a large tattoo of two angel wings on his back, it was then that he knew how he recognized the acrobat.

  
_"Jimmy what are you doing?"_

  
_"What does it look like? I'm quitting."_

  
_Gabriel wanted to slap him._

  
_"Why the hell would you do that? I thought you wanted this job? Are you real right now? I gave you a place to stay, food, income and your running away?"_

  
_Jimmy paused his frantic packing to embrace Gabriel._

  
_"Gabe, you've been great, honest. I wouldn't have even gotten this job without you, but I've realized Journalism just isn't for me. Please don't be upset, it's been really awesome knowing you, for a whole month of my life."_

  
_Gabriel shook his head._

  
_"Where are you gonna go? What are you gonna do now?"_

  
_Jimmy slammed his suitcase shut and shrugged._

  
_"I don't know, maybe I'll join the circus." And with that, he was gone._

  
Castiel was Jimmy Novak, the homeless man Gabriel had picked up and helped out almost ten years ago. Gabriel was so shocked he nearly fell out of his seat, when the shock subsided though, he knew he'd found his way in behind the scenes.

Gabriel watched in mild awe as Jimmy gripped the bar of the trapeze, the look of quiet horror still on his face. With a resigned look to the crowd, he launched off the platform.

  
As soon as he left the platform, Gabriel felt as if he where watching someone different all together. It was then he realized just who Castiel was, he was the most beautiful acrobat that Gabriel had ever scene. While he was in the air, Jimmy seemed to melt away and in his place was someone of pure instinct. Castiel flung himself into each move without any hesitation and with the grace of a creature born to fly.

  
Gabriel was in awe and as he glanced around at the crowd, he could tell that they where in no less of a state.

 As Castiel's act came to a close and it was once again Jimmy standing on that platform, Gabriel found himself with the rest of the crowd, on his feet. He could see Jimmy's blush from all the way in his seat, Gabriel cheered louder.

As the white lights dimmed, a new light filled the tent. A soft red lighting that cast odd shadows over everything, Gabriel noticed the fog slowly creeping its way across the ring and soon he couldn't see the floor.

  
He watched as Crowley entered the ring and circled it once before standing the far end of the arena. Gabriel adjusted his camera once again and double checked that it was still recording, he knew the lead up to a finale when he saw one.

"As you've no doubt figured out by now, we've reached the finale of our show." Crowley began to pace the arena. "Now I know the excitement of our Cirque is so overwhelming that it will be hard to keep quite, but I must ask you to do so. The performers that you are about to see require the utmost concentration that cannot be broken by loud noises so please, hold your applause till the end. Thank you."

  
Crowley exited the stage.

As the smoke cleared a set of eight pedestals where revealed, each in a set of four. Gabriel recognized the common platforms for a balancing act and set back in his seat. He hoped that this act could match what he had just scene, he never found balancing acts impressive, most likely because he's seen so many.

Two men entered from the entertainer's entrance. From what Gabriel could see, the shorter one was clad in only black pants and the taller in white, both had matching tattoos on their chest.

  
' _These must be the brothers_.' Gabriel thought.

  
The taller one had much longer hair that was pulled into a tight bun, while the shorter one had close cropped hair, neither looked up from the ground.

  
Gabriel noticed that no music was playing for this act and realized how serious Crowley was about noise, Gabriel was feeling less encouraged about this act by the second. He'd seen many a balancing act performed with music.

The men each moved behind their set of pedestals, the shorter one clasped one first and lifted himself up so that he was standing on two stools, it was then that he finally looked up. His eyes where as black as Megs and Gabriel could feel the crowd try to resist gasping.

  
During the pause Gabriel heard two audience members next to him whisper to each other.

  
"I think the shorter one is Dean Winchester, and the taller one's Sam. I wonder if he'll fell again."

  
"Yeah I bet its a million times harder for him because of his...well...you know."

  
Gabriel looked at them, curious for more, but their attention was back on the show.

  
When the taller one, Sam, hoisted himself up onto the pedestal, Gabriel could clearly see his face now.

  
He was the most beautiful man Gabriel had ever seen, and his eyes where closed.

  
Gabriel watched as the two moved in perfect unison, each balancing on their own pedestals yet perfectly synchronized with each other. Gabriel watched the muscles ripple and strain through each movement that Sam completed, completely enamored with each contour and line of his body.

  
Through out their entire act, Sam never opened his eyes once.

  
At one point they flipped to each others pedestal, switching positions from feet to hands in the process and someone in the crowd gasped, Sam almost missed his grip. Out of the corner of Gabriel's eyes, he saw the audience member being escorted out of the tent.

Gabriel was starting to suspect why they didn't want any noise in the tent, his suspicions where confirmed at the end of their performance.

  
The brothers final move was for each one to balance on only one hand, both grasping their own pedestal, they then reached out with the other hand to grasp the other, Deans left hand to Sam's right leg and Sam's left hand to Dean's left leg; while Sam's chest was facing the audience, Dean's was not. They held that pose longer than should be humanly possible before doing two back flips out of it and onto the ground in front of the pedestals. It was then that Sam opened his eyes.

  
Gabriel once again found himself on his feet cheering louder then had had for any previous acts. He knew right then with sinking determination that he had to speak to Sam Winchester. He knew Jimmy owed him for bailing, he'd have to let Gabriel in. He had too.

  
Not just for his sources reasons, no he personally needed to speak to Sam Winchester, if only to tell him what an amazing performance that was especially since

  
Sam Winchester was blind.


	3. No one is here accept All of Us

First the colours, then the humans. That is how Sam Winchester usually saw things. Or at least, how he tried, but here was a small fact, he was going to go blind.

  
When his vision first started going, he had ignored it at first. It wasn't until he'd run into his own brother, barely able to recognize him through the blur, that he had told Dean, sobbing as he did.

  
It was only a few weeks later that he was totally blind.

  
The doctor he'd visited had told him that it was most likely the consequence of a head injury, one most likely received when he had slipped of the pedestal during his act.  
Sam Winchester realized then that doctors must assume that just because one is blind, he was also affected by retardation.

  
First the colours, then the humans. That was how Sam Winchester had seen things before he was blind. Now, he just saw darkness.

 

* * *

 

 The first person Dean Winchester told about Sam's disability was Crowley. The only reason Dean had said anything to Crowley was because he was the one who planned the show, trained the acts.

  
Crowley didn't give a damn about Sam Winchester disability. Crowley had spoken to Sam, and Sam didn't give a damn about his disability. Sam was going to perform.  
The next day Crowley brought Dean a pare of solid black contacts that covered far past his Iris.

  
Dean Winchester hadn't spoken a word, but he had plenty foul things to say to Crowley then. It was only when Sam reassured him that it was okay, did he settle down.  
Dean Winchester mourned for Sam's loss of sight, and mourned Sam's apathy.

  
The first person Dean Winchester told about Sam's disability was Crowley, but he'd be damned if he didn't wish it could have been his parents instead.

 

* * *

 

 

For Balthazar, it was a pleasure to burn and all of this happened, more or less.

  
He knew what they said about secrets. He's heard it all. That they can haunt and govern you. That they can poison relationships and divide families. That in the end, only the truth will set you free.

  
Balthazar knew that as long as he waved his hand in one direction, he could hide something in the other. He did so pleasantly at his circus home.

  
He had come upon it with a wild kitten in his arms, a mystery he had never resolved to tell anyone.

  
Balthazar knew he was all distraction and if there where to be anything that could convince him otherwise, it would be Meg. Meg was the only person in the cirque who could see a facade for what it was and was happy to burn up his whenever they where alone.

  
For Balthazar, it was a pleasure to burn and all of this happened.

 

* * *

 

 

Every morning Meg Masters drank coffee out of a mug she took from her mothers house.

  
It was the last item that Meg kept of her life before the circus. The last item that everytime she glanced its way, she could all but keep herself from shattering it. She imagined the sound to be like the sound of a gun.

  
War had entered her childhood world not with the blasts of rockets and bombs but with her father's footsteps as he walked through the hallway, passing her bedroom toward his, toward her mother.

  
Meg was quite familiar with the sound of applause, cheering from a pleased audience but never had she ever heard a sound quite as familiar as that of bones snapping, nor the sight of bruises forming. Never had she ever heard a sound more comforting than that of someone weeping.

  
When Castiel arrived at the circus, he struck Meg as quite similar to the stuffed unicorn she had cherished as a child. She hadn't seen that unicorn since it was thrown into the backyard fire her father had dotingly lit.

  
Every morning Meg Masters would drink coffee out of a mug she took from her mothers house, the mug was now smashed in the corner of her caravan.

 

* * *

 

 

Jimmy Novak first noticed he was missing on a Thursday.

  
It had taken him by surprise, only minutes before he had been a whole man but now as he passed by one of the mirrors that hung in Gabriel's home he noticed that he was missing.

  
Of course, physically he was there, but his face looked just as it had when he was on the streets, before he met Gabriel.

  
It made him sad to think he was giving up another home. So many he had been in, he was certain he might never find happiness in any.

  
So he left to find himself.

  
Already tattooed with the wings on his back, he used his agility to become a novelty act. Moving from circus to circus he never stayed long. He was collecting pieces of himself as he went, trying to find the last piece anywhere he could.

  
It was only when Crowley, his newest boss, introduced him to Dean Winchester that he found himself.

  
Castiel first noticed he was found on a Thursday.

 

* * *

 

 

Emily didn't exist.

 

* * *

 

 

Jo Harvelle was never properly introduced to the world she lived in.

  
As a child, she was abandoned at the circus by her father. It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks where striking thirteen.

  
Bobby Singer had raised her with Sam and Dean Winchester. It wasn't until, in a temper, she threw a knife that landed neatly between Dean's legs, just a hair below 'no more kids' that they discovered her pension for throwing knives.

  
She didn't care about them and there new found interest in her then, an she certainly didn't care now. She just wanted to throw knives at people, a pretend she was glad when she hit the board and not the person.

  
Jo Harvelle was never properly introduced to the world she lived in, and as a result, she kept on missing her true targets. 

 

* * *

 

Crowley found himself to be a sick man, a spiteful man, and mostly an unattractive men. He was also under the suspicion that his liver was diseased. 

He had been tempted into the cirque during the year when the fashion in cruelty demanded not only the crucifixion of circus folk, but also a similar fate for their pets, that was the first time he'd met Robert and was thrown into the cirque; for Crowley had been a strong man then.

  
When he and Bobby had inherited the circus for their own, Crowley was content to slip away into self loathing with an outer layer of self idolizing so that one may never suspect his true predicament as a ring master.

  
Crowley found himself to be a sick man, a spiteful man, and mostly an unattractive man. He was also under the suspicion that his liver was diseased, which he found quite alright, as long as it was Bobby who was providing the whiskey.

 

* * *

 

 

Bobby enjoyed three things in his life, his adopted children, cheap whiskey, and his partner.

  
Not in that order.

  
Bobby enjoyed three things in his life, cheap whiskey, his partner, and his adopted children, also not in that order.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. The Knife of Never Letting Go

' _You get so alone at times, it just makes sense_.'

  
Castiel knew that he was holding onto a childish myth of love at first sight. Perhaps he was just alone, after traveling for so long he felt that his mind was breaking down.

Sometimes when someone in the street would call out for a Jimmy, he would catch himself turning around, expecting to see who he used to be. Black hair caked with dirt, blue eyes rimmed with soot, and stumbling around in ill fitting office clothing.

  
Sometimes ' _it just makes sense_ ' wasn't enough.

  
So instead he hid himself away in the caravan he now shared with Meg Masters. He pretended not to notice the smashed cup in the corner that had not been there this morning.

His first performance had gone better than he had expected. He had nearly climbed down from the platform, if not for the black pair of eyes watching him from the performer's entrance.

  
He heard a knock on the caravan and slowly stood from his cot. Walking over as slowly as he could, he opened the door.

  
"Who..." The man in front of him Castiel almost didn't recognize, when the memory did come back though, he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

  
Gabriel smiled widely, "Not even a hello? Where have you're manners gone Jimmy?"

  
Gabriel stepped up and pushed past Castiel, making his way around the small caravan. While it wasn't his official home yet, Castiel still felt intruded upon.  
"Hello Gabriel."

  
"That's better!" Gabriel pulled a sweet from his back and popped it into his mouth. Next he grabbed the chair that rested near the corner and spun it around so that he could rest his arms on the back when he sat down. "You know, I didn't think you meant it when you said you'd run off and join the circus but I am quite impressed."

  
"Gabriel..." Castiel still had shards of guilt stabbing him and just seeing Gabriel's face drove them in deeper. "How did you find me?"

  
"You know, when you left, I was fired? I really had stuck my neck out for you, as soon as I told my boss you had left..." Gabriel slammed his hand on the wall, scaring Castiel. "BAM! I was fired."

  
"Gabriel, I am sorry." Castiel was slowly backing away from Gabriel, pressing himself against the wall and pulling his coat tighter around himself.

  
"I know, I know. Glad I found you though." Castiel watched the other man frown for a split second before his cheery demeanor returned. "I work for a website now, all about cirques. I go out, watch the show and review it. It's what I was doing here. Imagine my shock when I saw good ole' Jimmy up on that platform."

  
"I go by Castiel now."

  
"Yes I heard. The great Castiel!" Gabriel stood. "I will admit it does have quite a nice ring to it."

Castiel found himself nodding in agreement.

  
"So here's the deal," Gabriel kept moving forward until he was pinning Castiel against the wall. "You're going to give me a backstage tour, the whole works. Photos, interviews, everything and in return I'll call us even. Okay?"

  
Castiel got the feeling it wasn't really an option.

  
"Okay."

  
Gabriel pulled away, "Okay then. So where should we start?"

* * *

 "Who is Castiel with?"

  
Dean looked over to where Sam sat, running his fingers along the pages of his newest book.

  
"I don't see him."

  
"To your right." Sam shot Dean his finest bitch face.

  
Dean looked to where Sam had indicated and frowned. Castiel was walking with a who was taking photos of everything. It was only 8 in the morning and already the newbie was causing a stir.

  
"How did you even know he was with someone?"

  
Sam's fingers stopped moving across the page and looked up at Dean, who shivered at the sight of Sam's whitened eyes.

  
"I could smell him, his scent is so sweet he might as well be a walking cavity."

  
Dean laughed and glanced back towards the stranger, who was now walking to where they were sitting.

  
"He doesn't look like he eats much candy." When Dean saw the confused look on Sam's face he quickly explained. "He's in shape is what I mean."

  
"Is he cute?"

  
Dean punched Sam in the shoulder, who laughed. "I don't know man, I mean if you like the short type."

  
"I see." Sam wiggled his eyebrows and Dean made a sound of indignation.

  
"I can't believe you just made that pun." Dean heard the crunch of leavs that indicated the two had arrived.

  
"Hello Dean." Dean turned in his chair, his jeans scrapping against the plastic chair. He caught the wince that Sam tried to hide before looking up at Castiel. "Hey Cas."

  
Sam coughed. "Hey Castiel."

  
Castiel made a movement as if he'd been shook from a dream and turned towards Sam. "Hey Sam, how are you today?"

  
"Still blind if that's what you're asking." Sam smiled weakly. ". If not then I'm good, just got a new replacement set of law books that I can actually read."

  
"That's good and you, Dean?"

  
Dean swiveled his head back to Cas. "I'm peachy, whose the journalist?"

  
"How did you know I was a journalist?" The man asked, stopping Castiel from responding. Dean watched Cas shoot the man a look of annoyance.

  
"We saw you from across the yard, you're taking pictures of everything."

  
The man nodded.

  
"My name is Gabriel." He grabbed Castiel by the shoulder, Dean felt the urge to rip Gabriel's hand off. "Cassy here owed me a favor and agreed to give me a tour. I work for a website all about Cirques and the like."

  
"Did he now?" Dean shot a bemused look to Castiel. "Have you seen the show?"

  
"Yes I saw it just last night, I must say, I was very impressed if not a bit creeped out."

  
Dean smiled tightly, _Crowley._

  
"Yeah, the uh ring master thinks it's _unique_ , so we tend to be a bit odd." He felt Sam kick his chair and he coughed. "But yeah, glad you enjoyed the show."

  
"Do you mind if I could get an interview with you two?" Gabriel began digging around in his bag and Dean quickly stood.

  
"Actually, I have some training planned for this morning but my brother," He clapped Sam on the back and Sam's head shout up and looked in his direction, another bitch face. "Well he would just love too."

  
Dean quickly quieted Sam's protest and walked forward, grabbing the edge of Castiel's trench coat as he did. "I need a word with Cas for a moment as well."

  
He walked away from the pair, dragging Cas along with him. When they where out of earshot of even Sam, Dean stopped.

  
"What the Hell are you thinking Cas? You know Bobby doesn't like journalists!"

  
Cas was looking everywhere accept at Dean.

  
"I owed him. And he was very...persuasive."

  
Dean raised an eyebrow at Castiel, who finally looked him in the eyes.

  
"Oh god no not like that!" Castiel looked horrified. "He's just someone from my long past and I'd rather him get his favor out now and not wait till he wants me to kill someone for him!"

  
Dean rolled his eyes but remained silent. He had finally noticed Castiel. When the man had arrived a few days before, Dean had done his best to avoid him. While he was impressed with Cas's skill, he was always weary of newcomers, especially ones with faces like an angel. As he looked at Castiel now, he noticed a lot of the magic he'd seen in the performance last night had drained away. It looked as though he hadn't slept and was still in his acrobatic pants, ontop of that he was also still shirtless, despite the trench coat.

  
"Dean."

  
Dean snapped out of his stare to focus back on Castiel's face. "What?"

  
"You were staring."

  
Castiel's expression was blank, as if he didn't know what to think. Dean's tactic of maneuver was to just blatantly deny it.

  
"No I wasn't."

  
"Okay."

  
If their was one thing Dean decided he liked about Castiel, was that he didn't argue.

  
"Who was that girl you arrived with?"

  
Castiel blinked. "Emily?"

  
"Yeah her, where did you guys come from any ways." Dean was trying to make distracting conversation.

  
"Everywhere I guess. I met her at the last circus I performed with. They had her dancing private shows, if you know what I mean."

  
Dean was shocked, to say the least. "Isn't she only twelve or something?"

  
Castiel chuckled. "She does look quite young, doesn't she? She's actually seventeen. When I turned in my resignation papers she had begged me to take her with me, I couldn't say no. She was one of the few people that I didn't want to murder and she has an excellent habit of making herself as invisible as possible, so I didn't see the harm."

  
Dean recognized the fondness in Castiel's eyes as the same he sometimes found in his own when with Sammy.

  
"I can respect that." Dean noticed Emily walking aross the yard just then, carrying boxes of circus outfits, she waved their way. "Speak of the devil."

  
"And he shall appear." Castiel finished, waving back.

  
Dean looked from him to Emily. "You sure she's seventeen?"

  
That drew another chuckled from Castiel. "Yes, Dean."

  
He looked over the Sammy then and saw him laughing with Gabriel before standing and shaking hands.

  
Sam sat back down and Gabriel began to head their way, when Dean noticed Castiel moving to meet him, Dean did the same.

  
"How did the interview go?" Castiel asked, giving Gabriel a weary look.

  
"I've got myself a date."

  
Dean raised his eyebrows, shocked, looking to Castiel who looked no less surprised.

  
"Really?"

  
"Yeah, what can I say, Sasquatch is pretty cute." Gabriel patted Castiel on the shoulder. "Should we continue our tour?"

  
"I...yes..I...." With a last confused look back at Dean, Castiel continued his tour.

  
"Really?" Dean muttered under his breath, even from his position, he could hear Sam burst into laughter.

* * *

_Previously_

  
"So, Sam Winchester, I'm Gabriel."

  
Sam shut his book a bit more forcefully then he intended and placed on the ground next to his others, feeling around a second for his beer. "Nice to meet you Gabriel."

  
"To your left a bit."

  
Sam moved his hand a bit to the left and felt it brush against the unmistakable cold, wetness of a beer bottle. "Thanks. Most people don't want to say anything because they think it'll offend me."

  
"Every one needs a little help sometimes."

 

Sam decided he liked Gabriel, his scent wasn't nearly as sweet now that he was closer. Now he smelled like a candy factory that was fueled by oak wood. It was pleasant, and Sam was grateful it didn't assault his senses the way Crowley's musk did or Dean's cologne.

  
"So this interview?" Sam took a swig from the bottle.

  
"Yes, so how did you and brother get into the circus?"

  
Sam rolled the bottle between his hands, closing his eyes for a moment, not that it made much of a difference. When he opened them again he turned his head towards the sound of Gabriel's voice and smiled at the small gasp Gabriel made.

  
"Well Dean and I, we were born into it. Bobby Singer's parents where the original owners of the circus, when they passed away Bobby didn't want anything to do with it. So my parents, who where performers at the time, bought it. Dean and I where raised in the circus, Jo was left here by her parents when Dean and I where young so our parents took her in and raised her as well, with time though older previous performers moved on and our parents died from an accident." Sam paused in his story to take a swig of beer. "Bobby took the circus back then, scouted for performers, that's where he met Crowley. Even though he's ring master now, he used to be a Strong man, was damn good too. Soon Balthazar arrived with his Darling, the cat you saw during the show, by that time Dean, Jo, and I where old enough to perform and I'm sure you know that Castiel only just got here with the girl, Emily."

 

Sam stopped suddenly and laughed. "I'm sure that was a bit more than you needed."

  
"Yeah actually, I think you just answered all my questions. However, you never said how Meg got here."

Sam furrowed his eyebrows a bit.

"I think she arrived after Crowley, young then, maybe Dean's age at the time, I can't quite remember. One day she wasn't here, the next day she was. I just remember thinking how scary she was, all dark hair and dark eyes." Sam laughed. "It's ridiculous now, now she's just like a sister to me, Jo too."

"Ah. Well I think you covered everything I had to ask. One more question though."

"Shoot."

"How has being in a circus affected your romantic life?"

"You asking me out on a date?" Sam knew he was being forward, but he liked Gabriel's voice, and his scent. Mostly he liked how Gabriel didn't seem to walk on eggshells around him.

"Only if you'd say yes."

"Yes."

He heard Gabriel laughed, he enjoyed the sound. 

"I know a pretty good dinner, just a little bit away. What day are you free?"

He heard Gabriel stand and followed suit reaching out his hand for Gabriel to shake.

"I'm free Sunday, around 6:00, is that okay?"

He felt Gabriel take his hand and was pleasently surprised by the man's firm grip. 

"That's perfect."

"See you in three days then."

He felt Gabriel move away and listened to his steps fade before sitting down and continuing to read.

It wasn't even three minutes later he heard a confused 'really' come from Dean.

He couldn't help but laugh.

 


	5. Once Upon a Time in a Town that Doesn't Exist

Once upon a time, there was a girl who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.

  
' _If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me._ ' Thought Jo, twisting the knife in her hand lazily. She didn't care if no one noticed her anymore and she didn't care if she was crazy.

  
' _Who are you if you're not you. Stupid girl._ ' Jo frowned but continued to twirl the knife steadily. Jo didn't know who she was but ever since she'd been left at the cirque she'd felt like her name wasn't quite Jo.

  
' _Maybe I'm Anne, from the story books._ ' Jo had only one memory she kept fondly of her parents, the story book Anne. It was the story of a little girl with so many dolls she wasn't able to play with them all. So she gathered them all up ripped apart each doll into different parts, then reassembled them together, like Frankenstein's monster. In the end, Anne was able to play with every doll at once.

  
Jo grasped her knife tightly and aimed at the closest walking thing. It was the girl, Emily, reading a book.

  
As the knife released, Emily ducked without so much as a glance up, the knife overshot the top of her head by a foot and implanted itself into the tree behind her.

  
When Emily looked up again, she smiled warmly before pushing her reading glasses back up the bridge of her nose and walking away.

  
Jo caught herself smiling back.

  
' _Perhaps I'm not Anne._ ' Jo was content with that answer at least, Anne was always a sadistic prick.

* * *

 

_Once upon a time their was a little girl...no that isn't right. You see this wasn't just any time, and this wasn't just any girl, this story is about Emmeline and it all happened a long time ago in a town that doesn't exist, at least not any more._

  
_Emmeline was six, the only daughter of an acrobat and a soprano.She had everything a child could want,but there was one problem._   
_Emmeline had been forgotten by absolutely everyone._

  
_Mommy and Daddy where always preoccupied with the business of the day, the performers complained that she was always underfoot, and even the postmen who brought letters that made people frown, never brought any letters for Emmeline._

_There where no hugs and no bedtime stories, only a growing mountain of lifeless toys that could not scare away men, or admire her drawings, but most importantly love her back._

  
_Emmeline tried her best to be a good little girl, then Emmeline tried her best to be a not so good little girl. Either way no one was paying attention._   
_There was nothing she could do._

  
_One night, Emmeline peaked out her caravan window and saw a beautiful star. It twinkled and glowed that Emmeline wondered if it was even a star at all, and not an angel. She remembered a rhyme about stars and how they could grant wishes, and if anyone had a wish it was Emmeline._

  
_Emmeline closed her eyes and wished, wished, wished._

  
_She wished for a friend. A friend who could play with her and help her reach tall things. A friend that could protect her from the men in the shadows and never ever ever leave._   
_Stars don't usually grant wishes, mind you, but so few children wished as hard as Emmeline._

  
_So on the next day, around 12 o' clock, or a few seconds before, depending on the clock, Emmeline's wish was granted._

  
_Around the fairgrounds Emmeline met another little girl, her name was Lilly, and she had no home._

  
_Oh she was a delightful friend. They drew pictures together, made up stories, had tea parties, and even made pillow forts._   
_Lilly was Emmeline's special secret._

  
_Lilly was Emmeline's best friend, but only because she wanted her to be. She did everything Emmeline asked her to do, and nothing more. She couldn't even love Emmeline on her own, and this thought made Emmeline very sad._

  
_Then came the sound of cheering from the tent and soon came the news._

_'Oh isn't it wonderful Emmeline!' said one of the performers who never usually said anything to her._

_'Your mother is going to have a baby, your going to have a baby sister one day. Isn't that wonderful?' And with that the performer left as quickly as she had arrived._

_Emmeline turned to Lilly, who after considering the proper response, choose to frown._

_No, this was not wonderful. Not at all._

_This was the finally straw, and Emmeline would not stand for it._

_With fists clenched at her side, her face scarlet with rage, Emmeline began to scream._

_How dare they love another child! How dare they replace her with another little girl!_

_Emmeline screamed and screamed and couldn't stop screaming._

_As she screamed, Lilly absorbed her wrath. The more Emmeline screamed, the angrier Lilly became until she, with a terrifying roar, began to carry out the revenge that Emmeline wanted more than ever._

_'Crash!' went the sound of the tent collapsing on itself, and everyone inside it. 'Sizzle.' went the sound of the fire slowly catching to the tent._

_On Lilly stormed, tearing apart everyone and everything that had ever failed her best friend._

_Just as Lilly began to run out of things to ruin, Emmeline, at last, stopped screaming. Exhausted and heartbroken she sat upon what was left of her fairground home, and cried._

_Oh why hadn't anyone loved her? Why did mommy and daddy want a new daughter?_

_But everyone was gone. Who would love her now?_

_Lighting up the sky, was the very star upon which she'd wished, not so long ago._

_With a heavy heart Emmeline looked upon it, and made one last request._

_She closed her eyes and wished with all her might and at the exact stroke of 12 or perhaps a few seconds before, Emmeline's wish came true._

_Like a ghostly light, she disappeared into the only caravan left remaining, just as police men in blue hats swarmed in surrounding the only survivor of the fire, Lilly._

_The caravan pulled away from the scene and Emmeline nor Lilly where ever seen or heard from again._

 

* * *

 

Dean Winchester ran the towel of his chest, shoulders, and neck before throwing it down and leaning against the oak tree. From this view he could see the fairground clearly.

  
Directly to his right was the big top, behind that directly in front of him was the training area, and if he turned a bit to the left he could catch out of the corner of his eye the bright colors of the caravans.

  
However, of all this sight seeing, he never thought to look up.

  
Something blunt hit him on the head, he stumbled forward a bit. Covering his eyes from the glare of the sun, he looked up into the tree.

  
On one of the branchest sat Emily carrying a bag of apples, looking back out to the training field and back up to Emily, Dean made a decision.

  
He began his was up the tree until he was on the branch opposite of Emily, who smiled brightly at him.

  
"Hello Dean Winchester. My name is Emily." She pulled an apple from her bag and handed it to him.

  
"I've heard, you did well during the show." Dean thought it was the polite thing to say. Something about Emily was off putting. She seemed harmless enough, her mid length long hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail and she wore a white sundress but something about her eyes threw him off.

  
"I know who you where really focused on during the show Dean." She looked up towards the training field and Dean followed her eyes to Castiel, who was practicing balance on a high wire.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dean bit into the apple, surprised by the sweet flavor. "Where did you get these apples?"

  
Emily turned back to him and bit her lip, obviously considering something.

"Orchard," She finally said. "Through that tree line there's an orchard."

  
"You stole them?" Dean didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed, he settled for condescending.

  
"As though you've never. I've seen you steal looks at my Cas out there." She held up her hand as he started to protest. "It's alright. I've been watching the lot of you, no one here is to keen on emotions. Though I was delighted to hear that your brother would be going on a date."

  
Dean didn't know how to respond to any of that, so instead he took another bite of the apple.

  
"I would keep an eye on that Journalist though."

  
Dean squinted his eyes at her, unsure if she was being playful or not. After studying her for a moment, he decided 'or not' was probably the answer.

  
"What's wrong with Gabriel, besides the rank smell of douche flowing off of him."

  
Emily chuckled and leaned forward, snatching the apple out of Dean's hands.

  
"Dude that's my apple. You have a bag full, get a different one." He tried to grab it back but she leaned away from his reach.

  
"I like you Dean, so I'm going to be honest here." It was clear she was ignoring his outburst. "I can read people pretty well in my own opinion. Gabriel's hiding something, using that uh 'thick smell of douche' as you put so eloquently, as a metaphorical blanket to cover his secrets. Whatever it is, I have a feeling it's going to cause some ripples. So just, keep an eye on him."

Before Dean could respond she took a bite of his apple before tossing it back to him and jumping down from the tree, landing on two feet.

  
' _The little cat._ ' Dean thought kindly, he could see why Castiel liked her, she was like the little sister he never had.

"Also," She added, looking up at Dean. "These apples are for Darling."

  
It took Dean a moment to remember the feline. "I'm pretty sure Leopards don't eat apples."

  
She shrugged, "This one does." and with that Emily was gone.

 

* * *

 

 Meg was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.

 She helped Emily feed Darling, sitting next to her and throwing apples into the cage. 

"Do you ever feel like the past is trying to catch up with you and suffocate you, regretting it hadn't done it sooner?" 

Emily accompanied her question with the toss of an apple.

"Every morning with my cup of coffee. I've learned that the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." 

"I prefer tea myself.

Meg got the feeling that most of Emily's conversations had the same pattern. She'd start off by asking a potentially deep question and close with something so inconsequential as what she took with her breakfast.

"Do you now?"

Meg tossed in another apple.

"I had a close friend once who could name you every type of tea backwards."

Meg glanced over to find that Emily was crying, not that Emily appeared to have noticed.

"I dreamt of her last night. Perhaps it is that country you speak of, trying to hang me for crime that are quite past the statue of liberty."

Meg watched each tear roll solemnly over Emily's face. Her cheeks where flushed and she looked as though she could barely breath, but still Emily did not wipe away the tears.

"What happened to this friend?  
  


"I wish there was some justice you know?" She looked at Meg, her eyes imploring. "But there is none, we find justice in the next world. Here is only the law."

"And what law governs you?"

Emily sat back on her hands, once again staring into Darling's cage. "The law's of love at first sight."

Again Meg repeated, "What happened?"

"I betrayed her, she might of been hung, she may have been quarantined, Hell, she might even be out here somewhere."

Meg nodded, she could understand betrayal, from both perspectives.

"And if she is alive, would you want her to find you?"

Emily glanced at Meg, the tears had finally stopped.

"I think I might like some tea."

Meg felt like most might have trouble with the way Emily spoke. Her round about way of expressing her feelings and her off putting eyes that mad it seem like everything she said was in madness.

Meg found she didn't mind it so much.

"I like you, your unicorn as well. Don't let it go to your head." Meg reached over and punched Emily's shoulder. Emily chuckled.

"Of course not."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Meg looked up to see Balthazar, his tall figure standing over them.

"Just out hot lesbian sex. If you join in we could have a threesome."

Balthazar raised an eyebrow, glancing between herself and Emily. "That is quite tempting my dear, but sadly, Darling and I have to train before it gets to dark out."

Meg shrugged and stood, pulling Emily up with her. "It's your loss."

As they turned to leave, Meg felt a tug on her arm. She turned and found herself incredibly close to Balthazar. "How about a kiss for good luck? Wouldn't want Darling to maul me, would you?"

Meg rolled her eyes but humored him with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Dinner will be in the big top by the way, 7 o clock sharp or you aren't getting served. The moose may be blind but he still eats all the food."

Balthazar gave her a two finger salute and turned his attention back to the cage.

Meg backed up and almost ran straight into Emily, who was grinning like a child on their birthday.

"What?"

"This circus is teaming with blooming relationships and I love it."

Meg rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might pop out of her head. Grabbing Emily's wrist she started leading her towards the fire that Dean had started near the Big Top. "Come on, your helping with dinner tonight."

The laugh that Emily let out was so weightless, Meg thought it might carry her away. She'd always hated such air headed noises but on Emily, it just seemed right.

It seemed mad.

And from the looks on the other circus members faces as they approached the fire, they all agreed.

Emily had the kind of beauty which seemed to be thrown into relief by a poor dress and madness.

And everyone loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
